netsniff-ng
netsniff-ng is a free Linux toolkit for network analysis and development, including debugging, auditing, and reconnaissance.
What netsniff-ng is
netsniff-ng is a free Linux toolkit for network analysis and development, including debugging, auditing, and reconnaissance. Its packet analyzer can capture traffic and replay pcap files, while trafgen creates packets with a multithreaded, low-level generator. The toolkit also contains mausezahn, ifpps, curvetun, astraceroute, flowtop, and bpfc for tasks such as network statistics, tunneling, tracing, connection tracking, and BPF compilation. Zero-copy mechanisms avoid moving packet data between kernel and user space during reception and transmission. The project is open source under the GNU General Public License version 2.0. Installation instructions cover Linux kernels with CONFIG_PACKET_MMAP enabled and building from source with configure and make; required libraries vary with the utilities selected. The project marks mausezahn and curvetun experimental and says not to use them in production. It describes the toolkit as working but not necessarily feature complete, with no guarantee against bugs. Release verification instructions use Git and GPG signatures.
Good
- Free, open-source toolkit for Linux.
- Captures and replays pcap files.
- Includes packet generation and flow analysis tools.
- Zero-copy mechanisms support reception and transmission.
Watch out
- Requires a Linux kernel with CONFIG_PACKET_MMAP enabled.
- Some utilities require additional libraries to build.
- mausezahn and curvetun are marked experimental.
- The project gives no guarantee against bugs.
Who it suits
It suits Linux users who need command-line tools for packet capture, replay, generation, and network analysis. Builders should check kernel requirements and dependencies, and avoid using the experimental utilities in production.
Verdict
netsniff-ng brings packet analysis and several networking utilities together for Linux. Its experimental tools, build requirements, and stated limitations are important considerations before adopting it.
Plans and prices
From netsniff-ng's own pricing page, checked 9 Oct 2026.
| Plan | Price | What it gives you |
|---|---|---|
| netsniff-ng | Free | Free, open source toolkit for Linux networking |
The facts
Each one read from netsniff-ng's own pages, with the date it was checked.
Where it runs
- Build and platform
- The installation instructions support Linux kernels with CONFIG_PACKET_MMAP enabled and describe building from source with configure and make.checked 9 Oct 2026
What it does
- Dependencies
- Building the utilities can require libraries including libnl3, libpcap, libncurses, and libnetfilter-conntrack, depending on the tools built.checked 9 Oct 2026
- Experimental tools
- The project marks mausezahn and curvetun as experimental and says they should not be used in production environments.checked 9 Oct 2026
- Included utilities
- The toolkit also includes mausezahn, ifpps, curvetun, astraceroute, flowtop, and bpfc for packet generation, network statistics, tunneling, tracing, connection tracking, and BPF compilation.checked 9 Oct 2026
- License
- The toolkit is open source under the GNU General Public License version 2.0.checked 9 Oct 2026
- Limitations
- The project describes its status as working, says it may not be feature complete, and provides no guarantee that the tools are free of bugs.checked 9 Oct 2026
- Packet analysis
- netsniff-ng provides a zero-copy packet analyzer that can capture and replay pcap files.checked 9 Oct 2026
- Packet generation
- trafgen is a multithreaded low-level zero-copy network packet generator.checked 9 Oct 2026
- Performance
- Built-in zero-copy mechanisms avoid copying packets between kernel space and user space during reception and transmission.checked 9 Oct 2026
- Purpose
- netsniff-ng is a free Linux network analyzer and networking toolkit for network development, debugging, analysis, auditing, and reconnaissance.checked 9 Oct 2026
- Release verification
- The project documents verifying releases with Git and GPG signatures.checked 9 Oct 2026
- Support
- The project directs users to its public mailing list and online FAQ for questions and feedback.checked 9 Oct 2026
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